Friday, 14 October 2016

Film Friday is back! I have seen lots of great films over the last few months so I thought I'd share a few of them here. If you saw any of the following, do let me know what you made of them too!

CAPTAIN FANTASTICPlot Viggo Mortenson plays an unconventional father who raises his six children off the grid. They survive by eating wild animals and camping out in the forest (although they somehow always manage to look super clean!). When they receive some upsetting news they are thrust back into 'normal' society.Guest appearances Fans of Amazon Prime series Transparent will recognise Kathryn Hahn, who plays a slightly similar character to Raquel in this film.Fun facts Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave this film 1 star out of 5 in his review. A wee bit harsh perhaps but it has divided opinion!Overall I couldn't quite decide if I liked this film or not! To me the second half had quite a few plot holes and Viggo Mortenson's character didn't warm on me. But it brought up some interesting points on rearing children outside of society's norms. Don't be misled by the 'Little Miss Sunshine' style promo, this is a dark comedy drama...I'd give it 3 out of 5.

BRIDGET JONES'S BABYPlot Bridget is back! And this time she's 'with child'! I have to admit to not being part of the Bridget -brigade (I haven't seen the second film) but the latest is a fun movie to watch with friends and a glass of something fizzy. Guest appearances There's an appearance by Ed Sheeran which some people may be excited by!Fun facts Hugh Grant refused to appear in this one, so they kill him off at the beginning of the film, which is pretty amusing (not really a spoiler as the film opens at his funeral!).Overall I felt a tiny bit let down by the slightly predictable ending. Also the film makes you feel slightly old when you see clips of the original (and how different Renee Zelleger looked back then.. as well as Firth!) but it's recommended for when you want to switch off and have a fun evening at the movies.

HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLEPlot Set in the beautiful bushland of New Zealand, a couple adopt a rebellious child who then takes off with his foster uncle, sparking a man hunt!Guest appearances The director of of this (and What We Do in the Shadows) makes an appearance as does Flight of the Conchords' Rhys Darby.Fun facts The film broke box office records in its native New Zealand.Overall Fans of Flight of the Conchords (and quirky comedy in general) will love this! Super fun.

AMANDA KNOXPlot This recent Netflix documentary looks at the infamous murder case, where British student Meredith Kercher was found brutally killed while studying in Italy in 2007. American student Amanda Knox was arrested along with her Italian boyfriend and put to trial by media, earning her the terrible nickname 'Foxy Knoxy.'Guest appearances Knox is interviewed, along with her partner at the time. Also featured are the bumbling Italian chief of police (who admits he really wants to be Sherlock Holmes) and a barely believable villainous Daily Mail reporter who really makes you angry.Overall An interesting look at the trial which makes you frustrated at the sexism of the tabloids and the way the trial was mishandled overall. If you enjoyed Making a Murderer then give this a watch.

MY SCIENTOLOGY MOVIEPlot I've been waiting for this to come out for what seems like forever! Louis Theroux's first feature film delves into the mysterious world of Scientology. He speaks to an ex-member and tries to enter the church's headquarters.Fun facts In the post-film Q&A which I watched via satellite last Monday, Louis admitted his frustrations upon hearing that a similar documentary was being made at the same time. As he has trouble finding any scientologists who are willing to appear in the film, Louis's film takes a somewhat less serious approach.Guest appearances: Louis employs actors to play the parts of church leader David Miscavige as well as Tom Cruise. It all goes a bit 'weird weekends'!Overall I always enjoy Louis's documentaries and this one had many funny moments. If you're looking for an entertaining look at the world of Scientology I'd recommend this. For a more in-depth history of Scientology I'd also recommend Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.

Sunday, 21 August 2016

Last weekend I went down to London to see the Stanley Kubrick exhibition at Somerset House. It was bigger than I expected, with around 40 exhibits by different artists, who'd been invited to submit works on a theme of their choice inspired by Kubrick's films.

The exhibition has been very popular, and when we went it was pretty crowded but we all really enjoyed it. There was a wide range of work, some good and some not so good, as well as a VR experience inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey which was particularly popular. The exhibition ends this week, if you haven't had chance to visit here's a few pictures from my visit.

Saturday, 20 August 2016

Last time I was walking through Hockley I noticed that the 'Old Angel' pub was looking a little different. Back when I moved here it was known as a metal/rock pub and was also the original home of Annie's Burgers, which, since moving to it own premises in the Lace Market, is now one of Nottingham's most popular eateries.

The Old Angel has now dropped the 'Old' and been turned into The Angel Micro-brewery by the owners of Nottingham vegetarian cafe bar, the Alley Cafe. I dropped in for a bite to eat last Monday to try it out and it was looking lovely (although I couldn't help missing the Old Angel just a little bit and wondering where its previous residents were now drinking!). I'm also intrigued to see the micro brewery side of the pub which is still being finished.

Menu: The menu is helpfully divided into 'Herbivore' & 'Carnivore' sections, meaning us veggies don't have to pore over it trying to decipher what the best option is. All the veggie options can also be made vegan. I tried a halloumi 'fish & chips' (can never resist halloumi) and it was very tasty indeed!Value for money? My meal was £8.95 which wasn't bad, and there are lighter options on the menu for lunch.Added bonus: a friendly dog was in residence when we visited, never a bad thing!

Thursday, 11 August 2016

This year marked ten whole years of Derbyshire's brilliant indie-pop festival, Indietracks. I attended the first 'official' festival back in 2007 so thought I'd share some memories of steam trains, trampolines and sunsets from the last decade.